The Other Side
by FleetingMomentHP
Summary: Draco Malfoy is a death eater during the final year of Voldemort's reign, hanging onto a promise made by a most unlikely ally just before the death of Dumbledore. He still has a chance to help Harry, Hermione, and Ron defeat Voldemort, but time is running out.
1. Chapter 1

Gates that once kept the dangers of the world from coming in were now iron bars that so accurately represented the situation Draco Malfoy now found himself in. He had but a few moments to reflect on his unfortunate predicament before he would be forced to join the other death eaters in the dining room for another meeting. The only students left at Hogwarts were those whose parents were not directly involved in the war. Crabbe and Goyle would often visit the manor with their parents, clearly being groomed to become death eaters. They had both been taught the unforgivable curses and showed aptitude for once in their lives. During this time of transition, the Malfoy name had sunk lower and lower. It was to the point that Draco had to be very careful when interacting with who he used to consider to be friends. They still followed him, but only just... It was only a matter of time before they would go off on their own way, leaving Draco to be swallowed whole in his family's ruin.

"Draco, it's time..." a soft voice beckoned from the entrance of his room.

"Just another minute," Draco answered, still looking through the window, longing for any escape.

"Now. The Dark Lord doesn't like to be kept waiting. We have to be even more careful..." Narcissa insisted.

"Why?" he breathed, not expecting any answer. He wasn't willing to expand on the question he had just blurted out without much thought. It was a single desperate wish to be free of the monstrous threat lurking in his own home. Why had this happened to them? He knew why, of course. They were much like Icarus, and Voldemort was the sun threatening to send his whole family hurdling down into oblivion.

"Don't ask questions like that," she replied quickly, grabbing her son by the arm and forcibly taking him with her.

Draco begrudgingly walked with his mother and joined her in the dining room where death eaters and even Voldemort was already waiting. That meant they were late after all. His moment's hesitation was enough to earn them even more embarrassment and dishonor.

" _Narcissa... Draco... At last we are graced by your presence..._ " Voldemort greeted in that sickly whisper of a voice that penetrated through Draco's every waking thought and every deep sleep, the omnipotent presence ever watching and waiting for him to make a mistake.

"My lord," Narcissa greeted, taking the seat beside Lucius.

Draco was silent as he took the next seat. All eyes were on the both of them. They looked hungry... As the Malfoys fell, there was an opening for one of those loyal death eaters to take his father's place. It had already been taken, of course. By Severus Snape, no less. But as the Malfoys continued to fall, new opportunities arose for everyone in the room. The death eater that could shame his father would be rewarded and be able to bask in their leader's good graces. It made Draco's stomach knot to think about it. Of course he thought his family was the highest class family in the room, the most deserving of any privilege, whether he wanted it or not.

Unfortunately, Draco was the weakness bringing his family down. He had learned last year that he didn't have the steel to follow in his father's footsteps let alone be worthy to sit among a room full of people that would stand up and kill on command. Interestingly, Voldemort hadn't put him in that position again so soon after the incident with Albus Dumbledore. Instead, he seemed to be pushing Draco's morals and severe lack of courage. He was required to torture people occasionally. Sometimes he didn't know who the victim was, other times he pretended not to know them. His performance was so dismal that only half the time would his wand cooperate with the words he uttered. The failures were followed by severe punishment to frighten him into compliance, but it didn't seem to help. It was only a matter of time until they would decide that he was a hopeless case and move on. That wouldn't mean Draco would be off the hook, but rather sent on increasingly dangerous missions until the _problem_ resolved itself. He had seen it before with other less fortunate individuals and he could see the writing on the wall.

The meeting participants discussed the usual topics. Where was Potter, and how would they go about turning Hogwarts into a mechanism to train and mould the students into "ideal" witches and wizards loyal to Voldemort. When it was finally over, he joined Crabbe, Goyle, and a few other Slytherins he was acquainted with that had family members attending the meeting. Sons and daughters of death eaters. They too were being moulded, but as fighters. Merciless informants that would turn on him at a moment's notice. He knew better than to trust them. He sat down in one of the chairs, finding it easier to keep his countenance in front of his peers compared to the solemn dining room surrounded by men who would most _gladly_ murder on command just to show him how it was done.


	2. Chapter 2

The following day all of the company had left to carry out their respective missions. Voldemort, too, had left for some purpose he had not divulged. Draco took solace in the empty manor and had retreated to the drawing room occupied only by his father. His mother had gone to answer the door. She had not been pleased about the frequent visitors and the transformation of their family home into a wartime strategic center and when Voldemort's presence lifted, she found it harder to hide her distain. Draco sat frozen in his chair as Narcissa escorted the Snatchers and three prisoners into the drawing room. As his father stood, Draco too rose from his own chair, watching silently as his father investigated the three people, two of which Draco could easily recognize from across the room.

"Draco, come here," Narcissa called coldly.

He was petrified... Reluctantly stepping a little bit closer, Draco was fixated on the center figure, strangely familiar, but disfigured beyond belief. In his gut, he knew it was Potter, but he wasn't about to bet his life on a hunch.

"Well? Is it him?" Lucius asked eagerly.

 _Yes._ "I..." What could he say? The events of last year had been pushed so far out of mind - he had assumed their plan had simply failed and he was stuck on a side of the war with methods he didn't believe in any longer. It was too late to go back now. Dumbledore was dead. The only other person who supported him and at the time offered an escape was now captured. They were all caught in the same destiny to be casualties to Voldemort. It was a pipe dream to fight back. Nothing more. If there was any hope at all of changing his fate - and theirs, it certainly wasn't positively identifying Potter. "I can't be sure," he said finally.

Draco was pushed even closer by his father, who was growing more excited. He had to know it was Potter... Draco wasn't so foolish as to wonder why his father didn't just identify Potter himself. His father knew, of course, but to let Draco say the words was safer for his father. Perhaps safer for the family in general, but it didn't sit right with Draco. It was a repeat of last year in his opinion. Bailing his father out... taking on the risk for him. That was why Draco had chosen to switch sides back when he could still have an opinion on what side he would have preferred to be on. Lucius pointed out the scar on Potter's forehead. A dead giveaway. Again, Lucius asked Draco to confirm that it was Potter.

"I don't know," Draco uttered, terrified.

He withdrew back to the fireplace, not wanting to identify him. His mother was already echoing some of his own thoughts. If it was not Potter, and they summoned Voldemort, that would probably be the final nail in their coffin. It _was_ Potter, but that was a valid concern, he thought. Just as he thought they were going to forget about the other two prisoners, they had turned their attention to Hermione. He reluctantly admitted that yes, it was her, though he still had his back turned to them. And yes, the third was Ron.

"It could be," Draco said, again not willing to commit completely to identifying even them.

Soon his aunt joined them, identifying Hermione the moment she entered the room. It was that obvious. His father and his aunt (as well as the Snatchers) were soon arguing about who would call Voldemort and who would get the credit. Just as they were about to finally call him, his aunt screamed for them to stop, startling Draco as he observed the situation. His eyes trailed to that stupid sword they were fighting over. Why did that matter when Harry Potter was standing in the middle of the room?

"Draco!"

He was jolted out of his thoughts and looked to the unconscious men his aunt was pointing to. His stomach knotted when she suggested he dispose of them in the courtyard or leave them to her if he didn't have the guts. It was the truth, but his mother jumped to his defense furiously. When they had decided to take Harry and Ron to the cellar and leave Hermione to his aunt for questioning, he already knew where things were going and he could not be in the same room. He was such a coward... He shuddered and levitated the unconscious men, guiding them back to the courtyard. Of course he would leave them to his aunt, but he lingered outside while he tried to block out the familiar screams from inside the manor.

Eventually he had to return, hearing loud cracks just as he stepped back inside the house. He was directed to get Wormtail and send him down to the cellar to check on the prisoners. Once the goblin had identified the sword as a copy of an object clearly important to Voldemort that should never have been in their house, the tension died down and his aunt then summoned Voldemort. As his family relaxed, he felt even more anxious. Their relief did not last long however. Unexpectedly, Ron and Harry bursted into the drawing room, wands blazing. Instinctively, Draco shot stunning spells at them, not concerned with accuracy. To his family, he was already considered to be the weak member and not landing any hits wasn't out of the ordinary. His aunt again took the lead and held Hermione at knifepoint while Draco took Ron and Harry's wands they had dropped in an attempt to save her life. Draco was mentally kicking himself for not having joined in. That would have been the perfect opportunity to escape. He could have joined them... his family never would have expected it... they could have all escaped. Damnit... why did he have to just stand there?

Suddenly from the corner of his eye, he caught the shape of the chandelier crashing towards him. Dobby, their old house elf servant was there to rescue them. Draco tried to move out of the way, but the shattered glass flew towards him. He could feel his mother pulling him out of the wreckage, but he could still feel the wands gripped in his hands. Now. Now or never. He tossed the wands to Hermione who was still caught underneath some of the chandelier with the goblin. She caught them, extracted herself and the goblin before she tossed the remainder of the wands to Harry and Ron. Draco was relieved. They would make it. In all of the confusion, they had to make it out. Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed his own, pulling him forward, away from his family and towards Dobby. He could hardly make the person out before the entire room was spinning and he clutched desperately onto someone's hand.

They had finally landed on a sandy shore, the salt water stinging his wounds. Draco doubled over in pain, half submerged in the water until the waves receded. Someone was leaning against him, also injured by the looks of it. When his eyes focused, he realized it was Hermione. She hadn't forgotten their promise last year. And neither had Draco, apparently.


	3. Chapter 3

The previous hour was a blur... Come to think of it, even in that moment, his vision was blurred. His hands were numb, but he had chalked it up to sitting in the brutally cold water. A curious stream of red was blossoming each time a wave crashed over him, sweeping it back into the ocean as the waves receded. He felt a hand press against his side, soft whispers spoken almost as if they were from a distance away. And very slowly his vision and all consciousness was lost. The last thing he could remember is that he felt very peaceful despite being quite uncomfortable.

* * *

Draco woke up some time later to the sounds of hushed voices just outside of what looked like a small room in a cottage. He squinted, trying to get a better look at where he was, but he was more interested in what was going on just behind the door.

" _We can't leave him here,_ " a voice urged softly.

" _He's seen enough to give Voldemort a pretty good idea of where we are,"_ another said.

" _Bill is right. We can't let him go. So what should we do with him?"_ still another posed the question.

" _I... I made the decision to bring him-"_

" _What?! I thought he grabbed **you**!"_

 _"No, I didn't take the wands from him. He tossed them to me..."_ another voice, obviously Hermione by context, explained.

" _So what? You just decided, hey, let's bring him along for fun! Let's see how that works out!"_ another exclaimed, probably Ron.

" _What aren't you telling us? I can tell something is up..."_ asked another, not "Bill", but by power of elimination most likely Harry.

" _It's a long story... and I think I ought to speak to him first,_ " Hermione explained, " _We made a deal last year that got botched, but I guess it is back on..."_

" _With Malfoy? You made a deal with **Malfoy?** And you just chose to keep this to yourself, did you?" _ Ron replied, exasperated.

" _Yes, I did. But like I said, I had thought it was over. Let me see if he is awake yet. We do need to get moving."_

 _"Not with him! Hermione, you can't be serious!"_

The door cracked open and Hermione quietly entered. The crowd just behind the door looked in at him before she shut the door behind her. Draco was already sitting up in the bed they must have carried him to after landing nearby. He didn't remember much after someone grabbing his hand. He was inwardly disgusted with himself that he might have fainted from the impromptu escape.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked, sitting on the side of the bed like she might for a friend. It was surreal to say the least.

"How did we escape?" Draco immediately asked.

"I grabbed your hand before Dobby took us here. It was a split second decision. I figured it would be easier to let you go later than regret not bringing you with us," Hermione explained. She looked very weary. Of course she did. She had just been tortured by his aunt.

"I wasn't expecting it," Draco answered, not sure if he was happy with his current situation. Still, it was better than his previous one. Alright, yes, he was grateful she had thought of him.

"We need to get going, so I need to know where we stand. With the deal..." she mentioned, trying to delicately broach the topic.

"I had assumed it was off," Draco replied truthfully, "I had made my choice..."

"You made the only choice you could - don't sell yourself short. By the time they had breached the tower, there was nothing that could be done. Snape had such a tight guard over you. You did what you had to do," Hermione said, frowning a little bit, "I didn't hold up my end."

"Like you said, there was nothing that could be done."

"You more than made up for it..." Hermione remarked quietly.

"No - I'm not of the same calibre," Draco replied bitterly, "I should have acted faster. I took the wrong side... _again_."

"That's not your strength!" Hermione insisted, "Remember our plan... It would be stupid for you to approach it our way. We could use you just as you are."

"That might have worked last year, Hermione, but it's... look it's not the same. I was more confident then. I promised what I couldn't deliver..." he sighed.

Hermione grabbed his arm, "I want you to reconsider. Come with us. You know you aren't safe here, and you'd be putting Bill and Fleur in danger too. Not only that, but we both failed... I don't like failing, Draco. I want to make up for it. Let's try again and do this right. You know how they operate. You understand them.. If you do this, I'll hold up my end this time."

Draco nodded feebly. It wasn't like he had an alternative choice. But he agreed with her. He hated failing too. She was supposed to be waiting in the tower the night Dumbledore died. He had found himself in the awkward position of being found alone with Dumbledore when the death eaters broke in. Luckily he hadn't broken character. It had been too dangerous at the time to be found having a nice chat with the headmaster, who knew the entire plan of course. He too played along, making it feel even more real. But he had pushed a little too hard. He was so close to slipping up when Dumbledore offered the same thing he and Hermione had already offered him - taking his mother into hiding and to protect both he and his mother from the wrath of Voldemort. When the death eaters arrived, he had been expecting Hermione to back him up for the perfect ambush, but they hadn't been expecting Snape. Somehow Snape _knew_ the attack would be happening that night. Likely one of the death eaters had told him. As for Hermione, perhaps she had run into him on the way - either way, things had changed. He could go over it again and again in his mind, but he came to the same conclusion. He couldn't have done it any differently if he wanted - not with the information he had available.

"Alright, we ought to go quickly. Voldemort is going to react, especially when he learns we have the sword..." Hermione advised, helping Draco to his feet.

"What is so special about the sword?" Draco muttered, still feeling a little out of the loop.

"Um... sort of a long story..." Hermione replied, biting her lip, not quite ready to tell him their strategy.

Draco's hand brushed against the bandage on his side, only now noticing there were many bandages plastered over his body. Ah, the chandelier. "Hermione," he said quickly before her hand reached the doorknob, "Thank you."

Hermione smiled a bit, not sure what the future would hold, but she had a lot of hope. "You're welcome."


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for all the follows/favorites :D_

* * *

Hermione supported Draco as the two emerged from the room. They both looked worse for wear. The cottage was completely silent as the group's attention turned to Draco. It was clear that he was not invited, not remotely welcome in this home. Bill and Fleur stood together expressionless contrasting Ron's look of utter outrage. Harry was harder to read. Incredibly the rest of the people held prisoner in his cellar were also there. Even Dobby, who had managed to get them out of the manor alive.

"We only brought you inside because you were dying," Harry said dryly, breaking the silence, "Bellatrix got in one last attack before we had fully apparated and you were in the way."

Draco brushed the bandaged wound on his side with his fingertips, "It seemed a little large for the shattered glass."

"That's all you have to say?" Ron shouted, just barely keeping his temper under control, "After what you did to Hermione?! Is that it?!"

Draco's sharp pale eyes shot to Ron defiantly, "I guess it is..." He owed Ron nothing. Ron wasn't remotely aware of what Draco had been through while he was _running_ free from Voldemort's influence. Hermione placed a hand on Draco's arm, trying to quell the emotions that were beginning to boil over in the room.

"Everyone calm down..." Hermione said, tiredly looking around the room, "Draco helped us escape. I think we are about even..."

"Even?!" Ron exclaimed, wondering if he was the only one that thought this was crazy, "After what his family did - what they are still doing?! Hermione, you've lost it! Please tell me we are dropping him off somewhere. There is no way he is staying here! And he's not coming with us either!"

"You think I _want_ to join you on your quest to get captured and killed by Voldemort? When is it going to sink into your head that it's all over? He's won. The best we can hope for is to run and avoid him as long as we can - because he will eventually find us. He always finds them," Draco replied darkly.

"Yeah, we should drop him off somewhere," Harry muttered, "Hermione, he isn't going to help us."

"He has to," Hermione stated, unaffected, "I told you earlier that I made a deal with him last year. He was willing to switch sides if I promised to protect and hide him."

"When was this?!" Ron sighed loudly, "Where were we?"

"You think I spent all that time just searching for a reference to the half blood prince? Seriously?" Hermione retorted, rolling her eyes, "It doesn't matter anymore. The fact is that the deal is back on. He is going to help us because he doesn't want to be under Voldemort's thumb anymore. Isn't that right?"

Hermione looked to Draco sharply and he could have cringed. "Don't make me the enabler..." Draco muttered, "Your plan won't work. I'll help you, but I'm not going to pretend it's going to do any good at all. My last hurrah, that's how I see it."

Harry and Ron just stared blankly at the two of them, but Hermione looked triumphant, "It doesn't matter whether he believes in us. We have someone who knows how Voldemort and the death eaters think... what their plans are... how much they think we know. We have an informant that knows how to get us into Hogwarts, avoid detection from death eaters... How can you not see how good this is?"

"Until he turns on us," Harry shrugged, serious.

"He won't do that. Not after what they did to him," Hermione insisted.

It was true. Finally, he really felt he would rather die than fall back under Voldemort's influence. "You have my word," Draco stated, "Whatever that's worth."

"Not much," Harry replied truthfully, "But I guess we'll take it."

* * *

Once it was decided that Draco would be joining them, Harry went straight to work extracting information from some people that had been injured upstairs. Of course Draco was kept in the dark as to who they were or what they might have known that could help the mission. Bill and Fleur retreated to the kitchen to make some tea and something small to serve while Hermione, Ron, and Draco waited. Ron was glaring at him, making a point of his irritation with the situation. Hermione was still trying to recover from her ordeal, leaning on Draco's shoulder as they sat on the sofa. Draco was also tired, but he refused to close his eyes for fear of someone changing their mind about him. When push came to shove, he had to protect himself, no matter what Hermione's intentions had been that night. If she protected him, he would appreciate it, but he wasn't about to bet his life on it after the first time.

Soon, Harry called them upstairs, making a point of not inviting Draco along. It had to do with their strategy, and he didn't blame them for not including him. He wouldn't have included him either had he been in their shoes. Trust was a rare thing with him these days. Hermione squeezed his hand lightly before she and Ron joined Harry upstairs. Draco watched them with mild interest as they disappeared. So it was still like that. It wasn't like he and Hermione had anything other than a very frosty friendship, but there had always been little signs of assurance... brief hugs, the squeeze of a hand, and of course he would never forget that moment she ran her hand across his cheek. Why had she done that again? There was something he had been discussing with her and it truly caught him by surprise. It wasn't romantic, but it was intimate. They had an unspoken close bond, probably the only thing that would jolt him into action earlier. He still trusted her, no matter how badly things had blown up last year. Another indication that their bond was indeed very real was Ron's constant wary stare. Hermione and Ron... they were dating, weren't they? He wasn't exactly sure... And it had been a long time since he had come to that conclusion. Maybe things had changed.

Draco was pulled back from his thoughts when the three returned downstairs, clearly flustered. Apparently the goblin wanted the sword. That stupid sword again. Draco rolled his eyes.

"That sword sounds like more trouble than it is worth. Just give it to him," he muttered, waving a hand.

Hermione frowned, "We need it. And we aren't telling you why, so just drop it."

Draco sulked in silence as they argued over whether to give Griphook the sword as payment for... for breaking into Gringotts?! "What? Why are we going there?" he interjected again, "I know you guys live to make stupid and dangerous plans, but this is ridiculous!"

"You don't have to tag along," Harry growled.

"Yes, he does!" Hermione countered, "Draco knows what kind of security we'll be up against from Voldemort's side. Griphook is only aware of the goblin side of the obstacles we will face."

Draco gave a displeased smirk, almost a sneer as if to say they were stuck with him whether they liked it or not. "And you'll have a lot more than death eaters to worry about, so just give him the dumb sword," Draco replied cooly, shrugging, "You can just take it back from him when you get what you want."

"Do you have _any_ sense of decency?!" Hermione cried, "That is why goblin-wizard relations are so broken!"

"I think Malfoy's got the right idea," Harry replied, shrugging, "We will give it to him. _After_ we use it for ourselves."

"And he's going to agree to that, is he?" Draco nearly laughed - had the tension in the air not been so heavy.

"He doesn't need to know," Harry said quietly.


	5. Chapter 5

The arrangement was finally made. Griphook would help them break into Bellatrix's vault in exchange for the sword of Gryffindor. The following days were a little surreal for Draco, though he wasn't exactly sure how everyone else was feeling. It was clear that Griphook's distain for wizards was more than just a little bit distasteful to the occupants of the cottage. The goblin's refusal to eat with them at the table was just the tip of the iceberg. By comparison, Draco liked to believe that he was much easier to get along with - and hell, he was a death eater. One evening, he had overheard Harry apologizing to Fleur about the goblin and himself. Draco closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax, knowing it would get harder once they left the cottage. A loud knock at the door moments after he finally drifted off startled him awake again. His eyes shot to Hermione instinctively and she took her place beside him, her wand at the ready. The visitor quickly introduced himself as Remus Lupin, their old defense against the dark arts professor.

"I should go..." Draco mouthed, not wanting to be in the line of sight when Lupin entered the cottage.

"Stay put," Hermione insisted, placing a hand reassuringly on his shoulder, "You'll be okay."

Draco turned his head sharply towards her, brushing her hand off, his cheeks a slight pink in humiliation, "Get off me! I'm fine!"

"If you say so," Hermione replied, still looking ahead to the door.

He wasn't fine. He was terrified. And it was even more frightening to know that he was so bad at hiding it that _Hermione Granger_ was aware of it.

"It's a boy!" Lupin cried with joy upon entering. His visit wasn't long, but he had to give them the news of his new baby and let Harry know that he would be the godfather. He did notice Draco, but didn't remark upon the death eater's presence in the home.

It was a small event, but it did make Draco feel a little bit more normal. Afterwards he noticed Hermione hanging around him more often than usual. He couldn't hazard a guess as to why. He felt he was stronger than any of them. Willing to do much more than they would. He had spent months with Voldemort - what could bother him now? The thing with Lupin was just natural and reasonable fear. Lupin had been the enemy and wasn't aware Draco had switched sides. Nothing more than that.

When it was time for them to head to Gringotts, Hermione was preparing to use the polyjuice potion with one of Bellatrix's hairs that had stuck onto her sweater. She even had the wand, so she would look pretty convincing in Draco's opinion. He had decided to stay behind with her as Harry and Ron waited just outside, but soon regretted it. His stomach knotted, rejecting the sight of Hermione as his aunt.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked, "Convincing?"

"Exceedingly..." Draco replied, unable to help wrinkling his nose at her, visibly disgusted.

Hermione actually laughed, very amused that her appearance seemed to get under his skin so much. It probably wasn't funny. Bellatrix might have been one of the ones torturing him - and yes, she could tell he had been tortured. The two walked out of the cottage looking like the real deal. Two dangerous death eaters that wouldn't get a second glance... Harry was speechless.

"Draco should walk with you," he suggested, "Less people under the invisibility cloak and he can help you stay in character."

Draco actually looked somewhat pleased with himself. At last he had some sort of purpose. "You do know they will be looking for me. I'll be on some list of theirs. A deserter. You sure you want me drawing attention?"

"It's the best we can do," Harry replied, "We just have to hope Gringotts isn't aware of your disappearance..."

"After you stole her sword..." Draco questioned, starting to really doubt their plan, "They are expecting you..."

"Only the people connected with Voldemort possibly. Besides, I don't think he'd be willing to admit that we stole something from him," Harry reasoned.

"The time..." Hermione reminded them, "Wasting precious polyjuice potion here..."

"Right. Draco, you alright?" Harry asked, thinking the words sounded a little weird when he said them.

"It doesn't matter whether I am or not," Draco replied cooly, unwilling to have a heart to heart with Potter, "I'm ready to go, so let's go."

The group left the cottage and soon apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. The landlord was wiping the bar counter as they entered and greeted Hermione and Draco solemnly.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted back, receiving a surprised look from the landlord.

Draco elbowed Hermione slightly. _Good Morning?!_ Sure. Why not hand everyone daisies and curtsy and be on their merry way?! He sneered at the landlord, hoping to shock Hermione back into reality. "Something you want to say?" he snapped at the man, pulling his "aunt" along with him, "Filthy establishment..."

Diagon Alley was even worse. He had visited with his mother when he was shopping for his seventh year materials (before Voldemort thought he would be of better use at the manor) and things had changed drastically since then. Beggars littered the streets and were clearly getting to Hermione. "Pull yourself together!" Draco whispered sharply, "They are beneath you. Don't look at them! Keep looking forward..." His work was cut out for him. One beggar was so worked up that he actually attempted to attack her, but Draco was quick with his wand and stunned the man.

Finally they were reaching Gringotts... Draco was more than relieved even though he knew it would only get harder from here. Suddenly another death eater was approaching them. Draco had an urge to run. Hermione must have sensed it, because she grabbed his hand firmly and kept him by her side.

"Travers..." Draco greeted, giving Hermione some hint as to who this was, "What brings you to Diagon Alley?"

Travers looked less interested in Draco, in fact ignoring his question, and directed his attention to Bellatrix. Figured. "I heard that the Malfoy Manor inhabitants were confined to the manor after the escape..." he mentioned.

Finally Hermione got into character. "The dark lord forgives his most loyal followers..."

Travers couldn't help but smile, "And Draco? One of the dark lord's most _loyal_ followers?"

Draco was clearly offended, but Hermione quickly covered for him, "He is with me. I needed him. Surely you do not question the dark lord's plans?"

"Of course not," Travers replied quickly, "What brings you to Diagon Alley?"

Draco glared at the death eater darkly, irritated that he would repeat his own question.

"We are visiting Gringotts," Hermione replied smoothly, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder as if to reel him in.

"I am headed there as well," Travers admitted, "I'd much rather we had wizards running the place. I hate having to look at goblins every time I need to retrieve my gold."

"Shall we?" Hermione asked.

Travers smiled politely and allowed Hermione and Draco to lead the way. By this time Draco was gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles were white. Travers was hanging back once they were inside the building, and Draco got a sinking feeling in his gut. He could hear Griphook whispering that they _knew_... The goblins required Hermione's wand to allow her access the vault, but they were steadily gathering around them. Yes... something was definitely wrong. He could feel it...


	6. Chapter 6

As Draco half expected, they left him to wait in the lobby of the bank. A sitting duck, in other words. Draco leaned against one of the marble columns, fuming. They had better come back for him... If there was anything left to come back to... No, he wasn't that gullible. He could sense the apprehension in the air. They must have been warned about their possible arrival. He had to watch out for himself and find some method of escape. Draco scratched his neck, casually sizing up the goblins standing in the way of the door.

"I think I'll wait for her at the Leaky Cauldron," he shrugged, speaking out loud to no one in particular.

"It would be prudent for you to wait here," one of the goblins suggested. That did it. That was all the indication Draco needed.

" _Stupify!"_ Draco shouted, casting red beams of light at anyone in his way.

The prestige of being a death eater helped considerably. Half of the goblins wanted nothing to do with him. The wizard guards were made of stronger stuff, however. They flanked him as he reached the door, hexes flying. Draco ducked and dodged what he could, blocking the rest with desperate wandwork. He stumbled out of Gringotts and took cover in the nearest narrow alley, trying to string together some sort of plan in feverish desperation. For a long time he stood waiting until the ground beneath him rumbled. He used the wall for support as he watched wide eyed as a dragon carrying Hermione, Ron, and Harry emerged from Gringotts. He couldn't move. His legs were frozen as he remained hidden in the shadows of the alley.

"Draco Malfoy, if you are alive you had better keep up!" Hermione shouted.

Of course. Yes, he would get right on that. Draco watched, bewildered as Hermione stung the Dragon's tail with a spell and the lot flew off. Lovely. Well... he supposed there was a benefit to being taught the tools of the death eater trade. He focused and darted after them in a stream of black smoke. After a few minutes he had caught up, but there was no way he was going to _ride_ that thing. He lingered just behind them for a considerably long time until they were low enough to jump off and land in a lake just below them. Draco took a shortcut and landed on the nearby shore. He was exhausted and out of breath, having never travelled so far via that method. It was usually reserved for very quick and short flights. And he certainly wasn't well practiced.

Harry was already working on protective spells, so Draco took that opportunity to collect the rest of them and help them to the shore. Luckily the lake was quite shallow. He guided Ron and Hermione back to where Harry looked like he was setting up their base camp. As soon as everyone was situated, Draco joined Harry by casting his own protective spells.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Ron muttered to Hermione.

"Yeah. Don't underestimate Draco's will to live," Hermione replied, completely serious.

Draco rolled his shoulder after casting a few more spells, "How is it that you three are always the ones to pull this kind of stuff off? A _dragon_ really?!"

"This kind of stuff just happens to us," Harry shrugged, "And hey, we got out."

"You know this isn't normal..." Draco mused darkly.

"It is for us," Ron retorted curtly.

"I had always assumed it was Hogwarts," Draco continued, "But no, trouble seems to follow you wherever you go. And now I'm following you. I'll be the first to go. I'm not lucky like you all are..."

"You could always leave," Ron coughed.

Draco narrowed his eyes, "Or we could do this with a _little_ sense. Please? Am I the only one who sees a problem with this approach?"

"You're the only one to complain about it," Hermione replied, "It was our best option at the time. If you were there-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Hermione," Draco snapped, "You left me. I didn't choose to stay behind. You could have had that goblin invite me along..."

"I know," Hermione admitted, "It was too risky to bring you along. We are trying to keep the details of our mission as secret as possible."

Draco looked like he was about to protest further, but Hermione took his hand and invited him to sit with her. As they sat, Hermione placed her arm over his shoulder and let him rest against her. She felt as if she had caused him so much trouble already, despite it being better for him in the long run. He had been pampered all his life, so it was probably a shock to be living on the run like they had already gotten used to. Sure, she pitied him, but she also felt a tremendous amount of guilt about leaving him behind. Again, it was the best option, but it didn't make it any easier, and the trust that had been so hard to earn last year was dwindling away.

"I think we ought to tell him the plan..." Hermione whispered.

"And I think you are mental..." Ron whispered back.

"He might have some idea about where the others might be hidden.."

"Wouldn't be surprised if he was one," Ron quipped, earning an amused grin from Hermione, "You have fun with the horcrux-"

"Ron!"

"What, he's asleep!" Ron replied, "Anyway, I'm going to check on Harry. We only need one death eater whisperer."

"That's not funny," Hermione laughed. Okay, it was pretty funny. She was still smiling as Ron disappeared inside the tent.

"He thinks I can sleep with this racket," Draco mused softly, his eyes still closed, "So, what is a horcrux?"

"Um... well, it's supposed to help us defeat Voldemort. There was one in Gringotts," Hermione whispered, thinking he ought to know at least the partial truth. She didn't need to explain what they were.

"And you think I might know where to find 'the others'?" Draco questioned, still leaning against her.

"It's possible," Hermione shrugged, "I mean we have no idea... I would think you would be more familiar with Voldemort's hiding places."

"You're right, I am," Draco replied confidently, sitting up and looking her in the eye, "A wealth of knowledge. You see, this is how normal people tackle problems..."

"You're hardly normal," Hermione said with a slight smirk, "So where should we look next then?"

"Hogwarts," Draco stated, "The Room of Requirements of course. Where else would you hide something?"

Hermione raised her brows, "That's actually not a bad idea."

"See," he replied, "Simple as that. No dragons or goblins." Draco leaned in closer and kissed Hermione softly. He wasn't really sure why he did. They had gotten close last year a couple of times and as far as he was concerned he was just picking up where they had left off.

"Bad idea," Hermione breathed, her cheeks flushed pink. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind "Really bad idea! Don't ever do that again!"

"Never?" Draco questioned, his shoulders dropping in disappointment, "You're rather boring, Granger..."

"Let's wait until we tackle Voldemort before we um... start complicating our lives further," Hermione suggested with a skeptical look. She wasn't going to be pulled in by Draco's charm. That was for the Pansy Parkinsons of the world.

"Oh, I thought I'd be a little unconventional since that's what the group's into," Draco shrugged.

Draco and Hermione laid down in the grass together, both determined to get a little bit of sleep while they could. Draco laced his fingers through Hermione's hand and rested his forehead against her shoulder, more comfortable with a little bit of human contact. So he told himself. To admit to himself that he was particularly attached to Hermione wasn't something he was ready for yet.


	7. Chapter 7

"Get up," A voice commanded solemnly.

Draco felt as if he had only gotten half an hour of sleep. He couldn't work like this. He pulled himself up drowsily, realizing the other three were already up. By the looks on their faces, something serious had happened.

"What is it?" Draco's voice croaked.

"We have to go," Harry answered, "I had a vision of Voldemort. He knows-"

He glanced warily at Hermione, not sure they could trust Malfoy.

"He knows we are destroying his horcruxes," Hermione finished.

"And destroying them will destroy him, right?" Draco asked, his throat still hoarse.

"That's the theory," Harry said.

Draco was silent. He checked for his wand, still holstered at his side, before the stood on his feet and dusted himself off.

"Nothing witty to say?" Ron muttered, "No complaints?"

Draco had averted his eyes, staring at the ground. To make eye contact would reveal just how terrified he was.

"It sounds reasonable to me," Draco answered quietly.

"We are headed to Hogwarts," Hermiome informed him.

"Good. So how are we getting in?" He asked.

"We were hoping you might have an idea," Harry answered.

Draco's eyes shot to Harry's, surprised, "Really? Well... if we want to go in undetected, I might know a way."

"Yeah undetected would be better," Ron groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Shut it, Weasley!" Draco hissed, "I was just checking in case you wanted to ride the dragon to the castle. Or maybe that broken down car! See how conspicuous we could be!"

"You really know a way, though?" Hermiome asked, "Not the cabinet?..."

"Why?" Draco asked, his face ghostly pale, terrified he might be missing an important detail.

Harry wracked his brain for what they were talking about. What cabinet? Wait? The one the death eaters used?

"Wouldn't it be guarded? Plus it's back at Knockturn Alley . That place is probably crawling with death eaters." Hermiome mentioned.

"We moved it. Er... Snape did actually. Back when I needed to return to Hogwarts, that's the method we used since it was a lot faster and inconspicuous. He didn't like the other death eaters keeping tabs on him. My mother insisted that I join him," Draco explained.

"Great, so we could run into Snape," Ron muttered.

"Not likely," Draco answered, "Snape's got his hands full. Trust me, he'd love to be the one to turn us in, but he wouldn't be expecting you to take advice from me. It'd be stupid for me to return to Hogwarts under normal circumstances."

"I think this is our best bet," Hermione agreed.

"Yeah, and we need to get moving. We only have a few hours until he checks on it there too," Harry added.

Draco's skin was a sickly white, terrified at the prospect of running into Voldemort.

"Let's go already!" Draco urged sharply, holding his arms out for everyone to grab on.

In an instant they had apparated into what looked like the middle of a thick forest. Draco didn't waste any time. He led the way as soon as they landed, stopping just before they reached the cabinet.

"Hang on.. these things are finicky," he whispered, getting closer and leaning his ear against the cabinet door. "Alright, it is good to go. As soon as you land, get out of the way."

He pushed Ron in first, followed by Harry, and lastly Hermione who looked apprehensive.

"Trust me," he whispered, ducking her in before he too crept into the cabinet, closing the door behind him.

They landed ontop of each other of course. The other three were still gaining their bearings while Draco scanned the area for any movement. They had arrived in the Room if Requirements, in its original state.

"It's here," Harry breathed, completely stunned.

"Of course it is," Draco whispered, looking around the room confidently, "So what do they look like?"

"Dunno," Harry answered, "but it feels like it is this way..."

Hermione smiled at Draco and reached for his hand. "Thank you, Draco."

"Anytime," Draco replied cooly, squeezing her hand, "Anything else you guys need?"

Hermione nodded with a small sigh, "We still need a way to destroy them. That's why we needed the sword."

"That's the only thing that can do the job?" Draco questioned.

"It's powerful dark magic and we need something pretty powerful to destroy it," Hermione explained.

The two sat together, waiting and thinking while Ron and Harry continued on, looking for the horcrux. Moments like this were rare.

"This takes me back," Draco said quietly.

"Yeah... but you know, I still have hope," Hermione replied.

"I don't," he breathed, "I am dreading having to face... him... again."

"You wouldn't be facing him alone," Hermione said softly.

"You won't leave me?" He asked, barely audible.

Hermione caressed his cheek, trying to comfort his nerves. It was as if they had never left that room. As if Dumbledore had never been murdered. As if the world was still at their fingertips.

"I would never leave you to face him alone," Hermione insisted, "Now you get to trust me."

"I've trusted you from the start," Draco began.

"And it worked out in the end," Hermione quickly reminded him, "It's looking brighter isn't it?"

"For you three, yes, you are untouchable," Draco admitted, "But I don't think I will be so lucky."

Harry returned with the diadem in his hand, the next horcrux. There was only one left at that point. He had yet another vision after Voldemort discovered another horcrux missing.

"It's the snake! The last one is the snake!" Harry said excitedly, "And we have the perfect insider to get close to it."

Draco frowned, "Don't look at me..."

The three were silent, even Hermione. Draco fumed, crossing his arms, flatly refusing to take part.

"Lovely working with you, this is where I take my leave," Draco said, throwing his hands up.

"Draco, wait..." Hermione called.

"You are literally asking me to hmm... let's see... face Voldemort alone. Is that right? After deserting him. To kill his precious snake. Am I correct?" He shot back, furious.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry and Ron had backed off while Hermione ran after Draco who had stormed off deeper into the room, obscured by piles of junk.

"Draco," She called, "Draco, please wait!"

He pivoted on his heel and faced her abruptly, his fury palpable.

"What?!" He shouted, "Are you going to lie to me again? 'Oh, you won't ever have to do it alone!'"

"It's okay," Hermione said softly, feeling a tear roll down her cheek, "You will be okay... I'm going to protect you. That hasn't changed."

"Your track record is dismal..." Draco countered, not as sharply as before.

Hermione closed the distance and embraced him tightly, feeling more tears spilling over. Yeah, she felt very guilty about the past, but even more so about what she was planning to do.

"You think we haven't sacrificed?" She asked, caressing his back, trying to calm him down.

"I don't want to die..." his voice quavered.

"You know he will hunt you down eventually if we don't defeat him, and he will take the rest of the magical community down too," she reasoned.

"So I owe them my life, is that it?" He muttered bitterly.

"You owe it to them to risk it," Hermione corrected, "We have been doing it from day one..."

"You wouldn't throw Potter at them as bait," he argued, "Do you want me to die? Don't you care what happens to me?"

Draco supposed she did care, but for a girl as smart as she was, she was making rash decisions without thinking of the consequences. They all had that tendancy.

"I want you to want a better world enough to take the risk," Hermione explained, "I want to know that you aren't the same self-centered person you once were. That you have grown to put others first."

"What happened to 'That's not your strength'? Just say it. You want me to die for you. My life is more expendable than yours or Weasley's or Potter's," Draco retorted, finally feeling as if he was giving up.

He slowly dropped to his knees on the stone floor. Hermione knelt down beside him.

"I want you to stall him while we take the snake..." Hermione finished after a long silence, "We just need a minute. Say something. Say anything. Make him think you know something. And once the snake is dead, we will attack him, so have your wand ready."

"This is outside our deal," he muttered, "Doing something this stupid for you means you owe me big. And I want measures taken. This is going to be planned, we face... him... alone or not at all."

"Anything else?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. This makes up for anything I've done. I don't want anything Voldemort coerced me to do sticking on me after his fall. I am not going to Azkaban if I stick my neck out for you like this," he stated coldly.

"That's the first time I've heard you talk about the future after Voldemort," Hermione mused happily.

"It better happen. This better do him in. I'm batting the hornet's nest here..." Draco said seriously.

"It will work, don't worry. Let me go tell Harry..." she replied, standing up onto her feet and offering Draco a hand up.

He took her hand, got up, and walked with her, very careful not to let her speak his terms alone lest she forget to mention them. Harry readily agreed and started to prepare.

"So what will you do to the snake" Draco asked cautiously.

"Kill it," Harry shrugged.

"It's a horcrux, Potter," he reminded Harry, narrowing his eyes, "How are you planning to kill it?"

"You know what? I really don't know. We will have to think on our feet like we usually do!" Harry answered curtly, getting irritated.

"Not good enough. You all might be used to carelessly risking your lives, but I'm not," Draco argued, "You find a method before I even consider participating."

"We don't have time!" Harry shot.

"Then you'd better start thinking," Draco snapped, "Come on. It's not that hard. How did you destroy the last ones? What was so special about that sword?"

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the room began to change and they heard voices at the entrance. Gryffindor banners started appearing and the room transormed into more of a lounge.

"Harry?" a voice called out.

Draco took a step back, returning to Hermione's side. "Dumbledore's Army" was returning to their base. Longbottom was leading a large group of mostly Gryffindors into the room. He looked worse for wear. There was a large gash on his face, and indeed most of them had these badges of honor. Wands were drawn and Draco stood still, waiting for Hermione to vouch for him.

"Wands down!" Hermione said quickly, "He's switched to our side!"

"Is that true, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, he's helped us a lot, believe it or not. He's about to help us again, but we are stuck on a detail," Harry replied, glancing back at Draco.

Draco raised his brows slightly. He cleared his throat before addressing the crowd, "We need a method of destroying artifacts created by powerful dark magic. Previously we were using... erm...some kind of goblin made sword?"

"The Sword of Gryffindor," Ron corrected.

"Right," Draco said, "So something like that. Something powerful and destructive..."

"Well, actually, I used a basilisk fang on the diary," Harry added.

"Not likely we'd run into one of those again," Draco mentioned.

"What about the chamber of secrets? Isn't that thing still in there?" Ron suggested.

"Ron, that's brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Great!" Harry grinned, "A basilisk tooth. That good enough for you, Malfoy?"

"Yeah..." Draco replied cautiously, "You should each carry one just in case. And destroy the... artifacts... before I meet him. That way once the snake is killed, we just have... Voldemort... to worry about."

"So Draco, you're going to stand up to Voldemort in person?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Draco replied defensively.

"It's just pretty wicked, that's all," Neville shrugged.

The tension in the room immediately lifted and everyone smiled, even Draco. "Yeah I guess it is,"


	9. Chapter 9

Harry and Ron had gone to retrieve some fangs from the Chamber of Secrets while Hermione and Draco waited behind in the Room of Requirements. Hermione had started pacing while Draco was deadly quiet, staring at his feet. Suddenly the dark mark on his arm felt like it was on fire. All eyes turned to Draco as he winced, rubbing his arm, trying to dull the pain the best he could.

"He knows..." Draco breathed, "He must know we are here. Something must have happened... someone saw them."

"What should we do, Hermione?" Neville asked, very ready to fight to take their school back from the death eaters and Snape.

"Wait for Harry and Ron..." she insisted, "Give them a little more time!"

Soon, people were entering the room from one of the smaller doors Hermione and Draco had not noticed at first.

"Where does that door lead?" Hermione asked.

"Hog's Head of course," Neville answered, "I let everyone know that Harry is back. We are ready to fight."

Eventually, even the Order of the Phoenix had arrived. Lupin smiled and approached Hermione and Draco, giving them a nod in greeting.

"Fancy seeing you two here!" Lupin said, "And Harry and Ron are in the castle, I presume?"

"Just waiting on them to return," Hermione answered with a smile.

"Glad to see you still supporting the right side," Lupin said to Draco, grinning.

"Um... thank you," Draco muttered in response.

"There's been a lot of talk about you. They call you the Rebel Death Eater," Lupin said.

"Wish they wouldn't," he replied, "I just hope my parents are still alive."

"Hermione, I'm going to borrow Draco for a quick chat," Lupin said, leading Draco away from the crowd.

The two sat in chairs on the other side of the room.

"You know something about my parents," Draco said, hazarding a guess.

"Yes... losing Harry was pretty serious," Lupin said quietly, "Losing you called their loyalty into question. Many believe they asked Harry and his friends to take you too."

"They didn't," Draco answered, "Hermione grabbed me as they disapparated."

"I think Voldemort was probably looking for a reason. He had been able to use you against them, and having that control being taken away..."

"So he killed them..." Draco guessed, his throat dry.

"That's the rumor..." Lupin admitted.

Hot tears pooled in his eyes and threatened to fall, but Draco wiped them away quickly.

"Take that anger and do something positive. Steel your courage. Do your parents proud and help us avenge them," Lupin suggested.

"They were loyal to him to the end," Draco muttered bitterly, "He was more important to them than I ever was. I don't know what to feel. My father was excited when he thought he could hand over Potter. It was sick. They forced me to identify him. Me. Because they were afraid..."

"I think your parents loved you more than you think," Lupin mentioned cautiously.

"As much as they were capable," Draco agreed quietly, "And the fact of the matter is that Voldemort ruined them long before he killed them. He ultimately stole them from me."

"If that's how you choose to look at it. So you are going to fight alongside us? We can trust you?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah... but I don't want to kill anyone. I don't care what they did. I'm tired of death..." he answered.

"Fair enough, but if you run into Voldemort, try to make an exception," Lupin said with a ghost of a smile.

The two walked back to join the crowd just as Harry returned. They had the fangs and news that Snape had abandoned the school. Hogwarts was theirs again.

"Everyone is meeting in the Great Hall. Let's go!" Harry shouted, answered by cheering and applause.

Draco lingered behind the crowd until Hermione found him and grabbed his hand.

"It's happening!" She said, grinning, "You okay?"

"Mhm... I think so," Draco answered.

Hermione kissed his cheek, earning a surprised look from Draco. He had enough on his mind to wonder about his complicated relationship with Hermione. It felt nice though. He smiled a bit and squeezed her hand.

"Always cheering me up," he mused, "Starting to wonder if you have a life, Granger, always fussing over me."

"Can't help it," Hermione laughed, "It's my job as the death eater whisperer after all..."

"Ah, so I'm your project," Draco observed coolly.

"Yup!" She grinned.

"Ah, well then. I suppose I'll allow it."

As they entered the Great Hall, a voice Draco knew all too well boomed across the room. Voldemort was asking for Harry Potter. He claimed not wanting to spill magical blood, that it was futile to fight. Draco didn't even flinch.

"You have until midnight..." the voice warned.

Everyone turned to look at Harry before Pansy Parkinson cried out that he was standing right there and urged everyone to grab him to turn him over to Voldemort. Draco's grip on Hermione's hand tightened as he watched his house raise their wands against the rest of the houses before McGonagall ordered them all to leave the hall. She raised a brow at Draco, seeing him standing firm against his house.

"Mr. Malfoy?" She questioned, drawing attention from the rest of the room.

"Traitor!" One of the Slytherins shouted before they were herded out.

"As he said, I'm an official blood traitor now," Draco answered.

"Wear it like a badge of honor, Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall said firmly, earning a few shouts and applause for saying so.

"Yes, Professor."

As midnight came and went, the fighting grew more intense. The barriers had broken and death eaters were pouring in. Draco fought with the rest of them, stunning death eaters as they would do a double take at him. The big question was where they would find Voldemort. That was soon answered by Harry, forcing another vision.

"He is at the Shrieking Shack," Harry informed them, "Snape is with him."

"Whatever," Draco replied darkly, "Then we will just have to take them both out."

"You aren't afraid?" Hermione asked, "We can wait for Snape to leave."

"Of course I'm afraid," Draco answered, though he didn't look it. He felt numb, "But I have a little unfinished business with Snape too. Two birds... one stone..."

"Alright then.." Harry said with a nod, "We will be right behind you. You've got this, Draco."

"Thanks, Harry.."


	10. Chapter 10

Thr path to the Shrieking Shack was fraught with danger, the ratio of death eaters to Hogwarts fighters increasing steadily. Despite that, the four made good time and worked their way through quickly. The Whomping Willow was dead ahead. Ron thought on his feet and sent one of the branches flying into the trunk of the tree, paralyzing it. They slid down through the roots and entered into the shack lingering in the shadows and listening for Voldemort.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione quickly covered themselves underneath the cloak, letting Draco go ahead of them. His heart was pounding against his chest, but he moved forward steadily, straining to hear anything.

"My lord, let me get the boy..." Snape's voice echoed down the hall.

Draco moved faster and ducked into the room in view of Snape and Voldemort. Had the other three known what had happened to his parents, he doubted they would have let him get that far. Severus drew his wand instantly. His face was ghostly white and plastered with fear. Voldemort just smiled. The snake itself was coiled in an enchanted protective sphere floating in midair.

"Draco..." Voldemort greeted in that sickly whisper of a voice that seemed to linger in the air, "My sources tell me you've been fighting with Mr. Potter and his friends. Your parents have paid for your family's treachery. I am willing to forgive you, Draco. I don't want to spill any more magical blood, much less yours."

Say something. Say anything. Hermione's words hovered in his mind, but Draco found himself speechless. He was scared to death. And the snake was out of reach. Not to mention he had Snape. It was hopeless, completely hopeless.

"But I don't think I can forgive you..." Draco replied very quietly, averting his gaze. He didn't care. He was going to die anyway. He wasn't going to beg for his life in vain.

"Pity..." Voldemort hissed, "My most loyal follower and the pathetic Malfoy boy sharing the same fate. Kill."

The snake flew at them in its enchanted cage, striking Snape's collarbone and Draco's chest. Voldemort didn't bother to look back. He took off with the protected snake, disappearing into the shadows and out of the shack. The three that had been hiding under the cloak quickly emerged. Hermione was digging through her bag feverishly, desperately searching for an antivenom. Her fingers discovered the bottle and she rushed to Snape and Draco, administering it first to Draco and then to Snape. The wounds were wrapped while the two death eaters and three gryffindors conversed quietly.

"Dumb move..." Severus muttered, "What possessed you to do that? A death wish?"

"I don't know why I said that," Draco said numbly, "I must have been out of my mind."

"For the record, we've protected you, Draco," Hermione reminded, continuing to wrap their wounds.

"Noted, Granger," he sighed, "I would have preferred not to have been bitten in the first place, but not dying is a step in the right direction."

"About that snake..." Harry began.

"I saw it, and I knew what would happen the moment I walked into the room. It was being protected. You don't have to apologize," Draco shrugged.

"We have to find them again..." Ron groaned.

"And our element of surprise is gone," Harry sighed.

"What element of surprise?" Draco countered, wincing slightly.

"I need to speak to you alone, Mr. Potter," Severus mentioned.

Hermione and Ron traded looks. Harry honored Snape's request and walked with the man to the other side of the room. They talked for a long time, their expressions growing grim. At length, the two returned.

"Professor Snape is on our side. He always was," Harry said quietly.

Draco's stomach lurched. "No, Potter, he's lying! That's what he does! He lies to get ahead no matter the cost. He would turn you over to Voldemort at the first opportunity. I know how he works. You can't trust him..."

"Do you think I would be able to fool Voldemort if I were not so convincing?" Severus asked softly.

Draco just stared at him and shook his head in disbelief. He wasn't going to be pulled in.

"I've been working against Voldemort since the night he killed the Potters. I killed Dumbledore so that you wouldn't have to," he explained.

Draco's expression grew very distant, "I made a deal with him..."

"I know you did. I did, too... He was dying anyway, Draco. Voldemort needed to trust me," Snape replied.

"I was going to escape. My parents might have lived if the plan hadn't fallen through..." Draco continued, choking on his own words.

Hermione traded looks with the others. They had no idea the Malfoys had been killed.

"Don't be a fool! He would have hunted you all down, tortured, and killed you all," Severus interjected icily, "Your father single handedly destroyed your family, whatever his intentions were."

Draco's chest burned and his hands formed tight fists. Even after everything his father had done, he didn't need to be told by Snape how misguided his father was.

"That's enough!" Hermione snapped, putting an arm over Draco's shoulder and pulling him close to her. She looked to Harry. "So what is the next step?"

A high voice echoed through the room. It was Voldemort again, offering mercy to anyone who would surrender and turn to his side. Again he claimed that he didn't want to spill anymore magical blood. He was giving them an hour to tend to the dead and wounded. And then he addressed Harry directly, blaming the loss of life on him, threatening to fight too and punish any person who dared to hide him.

"Let's go back to the castle. You guys will focus on the snake. Professor Snape and Draco, you two are 'dead' alright? Voldemort can't know he failed. You stay here and protect yourselves. I've got one more task from Dumbledore, but I need to do it alone."


	11. Chapter 11

After the three gryffindors left, Draco and Snape started working on a protective magical barrier and anti-detection measures.

"I'm sorry about your parents," Severus mentioned stiffly.

"No, you're not," Draco muttered, "They bet on the wrong side. It's done."

"Your father was good to me," Severus continued.

"Yeah, he was," Draco agreed, trying to stay civil.

"I tried to repay the favor by watching out for you when I could," he added.

"I'm sure," Draco responded curtly.

"I did," Severus insisted, looking to him.

Draco finished up his own protection spells, glancing over to Severus, not sure how to respond. Everything he thought he knew about the death eater was wrong according to Harry, and Draco was inclined to believe him.

"I appreciate it," Draco replied at length, trying not to make it sound forced.

The next few hours were torture. The two death eaters waited impatiently for any news.

"If Harry fails, what will we do?" Draco asked quietly.

"We keep fighting," Severus answered firmly, "We can't wait for him to get stronger and hunt us down. He will find out we are alive."

"Do you think we stand any chance?" Draco asked.

"Absolutely. I can really train you, too. I have been preparing my entire life for this," Severus answered, "You have a lot of talent. Had you had proper Defense Against the Dark Arts training, you'd be a force to be reckoned with. A year wasn't enough to undo years of neglect in that subject."

"I'm getting worried about staying here much longer..." Draco breathed, "What do you think?"

"We can't risk anyone seeing us," he replied calmly.

"We will be surrounded..." Draco said, his voice filled with dread.

Two more hours passed and their apprehension was becoming unbearable.

"Alright, let's move," Severus said finally.

* * *

 _Author note: I'm leaving the story here - I had started writing a continuation in a new story, but I didn't like where it was going, so I just scrapped it. Clearly, Harry failed. And you as the reader can imagine what might have happened (Narcissa wasn't around to save Harry) and then Snape and Draco have to survive in a world where Voldemort still rules (with no horcuxes but still!) Also, because Draco tossed the wands and wasn't disarmed, he is still the true owner of the Elder Wand. I imagine Hermione would probably be fighting the good fight and maybe join the two - but anyway, I'm leaving the story here and moving onto some original writing projects :) Thanks for reading! I don't plan to update or continue, but I appreciate all the favorites/follows/reviews._


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